Houston Texans hire T.J. Yates as new offensive assistant

The Houston Texans are hiring former quarterback T.J. Yates as the new offensive assistant coach.

Former Houston Texans quarterback coach Sean Ryan opted to sign with Detroit Lions to assume the same role. The Texans were comfortable letting Ryan leave with a contingency plan already in place. Rumors began Thursday that a familiar face would be taking over the responsibility of coaching Deshaun Watson.

The Texans PR made it official that they have signed Carl Smith to assume the responsibilities as the quarterback coach. Smith served as the associate head coach for the Seattle Seahawks in 2018 after being the quarterback’s coach for Russell Wilson since 2011. The Texans have also hired former Texans quarterback T.J. Yates as an offensive assistant to help Watson.

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Yates was drafted in the fifth round of the 2011 NFL Draft from the University of North Carolina by the Texans. In Yates’ rookie season he took over the reins as the starting quarterback after Matt Schaub and Matt Leinart were unable to play due to injury. Later on that season, Yates led the Texans to their first-ever playoff berth with a victory against the Cincinnati Bengals in the regular season and a subsequent playoff victory in the Wild Card Round, also against the Bengals.

Yates was traded to the Atlanta Falcons in head coach Bill O’Brien’s first season with the Texans. He returned to the Texans as the backup quarterback in 2015. Yates led a late-game comeback against the Bengals after quarterback Brian Hoyer was ruled out due to a concussion. His season, however, was short-lived when he tore his ACL against the Colts a few weeks later.

Yates had been working with Watson after the Texans drafted him. He was brought to the Texans after Watson’s rookie season came to a close after tearing his ACL, and started the last three games of the regular season after Tom Savage suffered a concussion.

It appears that the connection between the two has to lead the Texans brass to listen to the opinion of the young franchise quarterback on who he would like to have to help him prepare on a weekly basis.